Content by Keyword: Place-Based Issues and Initiatives

At the start of implementation, the SC2 team in Memphis consisted of two full-time members (including the SC2 team lead) who relocated to Memphis for the initiative, three part-time members already located in Memphis, seven part-time members located in Washington, DC, and elsewhere, and seven advisory members, also located in Washington, DC, and e

The city of Memphis was hit hard by the 2007–2009 recession and is still struggling to recover. The city also faces historic levels of racial and economic disparity. These conditions, in addition to declining municipal revenues, have hindered the city’s ability to make inroads into lowering its 20 percent poverty rate and combating the challen

Implementation of the SC2 pilot initiative in Memphis began in September 2011, after an initial planning and assessment period earlier in the year. The team began with a broad mandate to support Memphis in addressing 12 economic development priorities identified during the assessment phase. The priorities focused on addressing the city’s major c

The SC2 team in Fresno demonstrated a number of the goals of the SC2 initiative. The SC2 team as a whole helped to move projects at a faster pace than would have happened otherwise and also helped to navigate certain barriers and provide expertise relevant to members’ federal agencies. The SC2 team made great gains in encouraging regional collab

Because the mayor’s vision and agenda were so clearly defined from the start, the work plan and implementation activities were structured to further the mayor’s short- and long-term vision for Fresno. Many objectives in the work plan aligned with the larger goals of revitalizing downtown Fresno and expanding the value-added food sector. The fo

The SC2 pilot in Fresno was guided by the Fresno SC2 team lead. He engaged city staff, worked to align SC2 team activities with city needs and to foster interagency collaboration, and connected city staff to federal team members who could provide the specific needed insights or expertise. The SC2 team lead was adept at coordination and leadership,

From the start of the SC2 assessment process, the Fresno mayor and key city staff were involved in shaping the vision for how the initiative would play out in Fresno. Specifically, during the Opportunity Assessment Team site visit, the mayor gave a presentation on the city’s needs related to economic development, workforce development, and trans

The following section begins with a description of the SC2 pilot kickoff and the work plan development process. The narrative then describes how the Fresno SC2 team and the city worked together, and finally it summarizes key SC2 team activities during the first 18 months of implementation.

The SC2 team worked with local partners, such as Wells Fargo, the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, the San Joaquin Valley Regional Broadband Consortium, and the Downtown Fresno Partnership (the downtown Business Improvement District) to help align and connect ongoing local efforts with the mayor’s work plan for the SC2 pilot. With these

The city had a core team dedicated to maximizing the SC2 team’s contributions. The team was led by Fresno’s mayor. She set the vision for the SC2 team’s work and then assigned the core members of her cabinet—her chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, and government affairs manager—to work with SC2 team leadership to ensure consistent coo

At the start of implementation, the Fresno SC2 team comprised 18 federal employees representing 12 agencies and departments. The core team members were the full-time SC2 team lead and the two other full-time Fresno-based team members from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The SC2 t

Fresno is a Central California city of approximately 500,000. While many objective measures point to the city’s distress, including concentrated poverty, structural unemployment, high vacancy rates, and disinvestment in the city’s core, Fresno is undeniably a city on the rise. Under the leadership of the mayor, Fresno has identified a vision f

Implementation of the SC2 pilot initiative in Fresno began in September 2011, after an initial planning and assessment period earlier in the year. The team began with a broad mandate to support Fresno in addressing 10 local priorities identified during the planning process with the city. The priorities focused on addressing Fresno’s major opport

The Detroit SC2 team was able to further the goals of the pilot in a substantive way through its contributions to enhancing local capacity and brokering improved relationships between the city and other community stakeholders. Although its efforts were frequently transactional, the impact was significant for the struggling city, whose most urgent

Challenges facing the City of Detroit are, to quote one city staff member, “very, very simple.” The city needed staff who understood the city’s priorities, which were immediate, urgent, and basic by many standards. In this environment, team members and particularly the SC2 team lead primarily served transactional roles for the city, frequent

The SC2 team lead was the key point person and local representative for SC2. She funneled updates and communications to the mayor and team members. She worked to convene city officials and to increase coordination among key governmental, philanthropic, and nonprofit actors. She also helped to coordinate team members to respond to emerging needs.

The Detroit SC2 team was deployed on September 12, 2011. During the first week, the SC2 team met with staff from the city and state, as well as representatives from the Skillman and Kresge foundations. The mayor weighed in at that time with his priorities: public safety, public transportation, public lighting, neighborhood blight, and recreation.

The following section begins with a description of the SC2 pilot kickoff and the work plan development
process. The narrative then describes how the Detroit SC2 team and the city worked together, and finally
it summarizes key SC2 team activities during the first 18 months of implementation.

Pages

Survey Disclaimer

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0990-0379. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, OS/OCIO/PRA, 200 Independence Ave., S.W., Suite 336-E, Washington D.C. 20201, Attention: PRA Reports Clearance Officer.